Jolly Holly
by millcityshaman
Summary: Severus and Lily are about to turn ten. They learn a Christmas song that will be remembered throughout their lives.
1. Chapter 1

Jolly Holly

Chapter 1

_Okay so the original 1964 Rudolph T.V. Christmas special was never shown in Britain as far as I've read, but I had this idea in my head before I knew that. It's been shown every year since that in the U.S.A. I also just learned that my favorite song (There's Always Tomorrow) is cut in the Canadian version! _

It was December. Snow had come early to the north of England in the late fall of 1969. It was close to Christmas, so what little child couldn't help but be excited? One resident of Spinner's End was even more excited because it was only a few weeks until he turned ten. This time of year always revved up Severus Snape. It wasn't just the holidays; there was something about snow that just resonated with the young wizard. In spite of the fact that he hadn't gotten, nor would he get, new boots or jacket the boy loved to tromp through the snow.

Sev didn't mind that went he got to the sledding hill all he had to ride down it was an old cardboard box found in an ally while his best friend Lily Evans and her snooty sister Petunia had the most beautiful bladed sleds strait from Canada. Even when the older of the two girls said, "Figures all you've got is a piece of cardboard for a sled."

"Tuney," Lily whined. "Don't be mean." She turned to Severus and offered, "You can try mine."

Snape knew he better not. "No, I wouldn't want to break it." Those were his words, but inside Severus longed to grab the sled, take a running jump down the hill and fly head down all the way across the street and through the parking lot of the grocery store. All this he could see in his mind's eye. Then he saw what would 'really' happen; he'd get to the bottom of the hill and smack into a parked car crushing Lily's sled in the process, no thank you.

"That's right!" Petunia stuck her opinion in. "Daddy would be very angry if one of our sleds got broke."

"No he wouldn't," Lily put forth. "He'd be more worried if one of us got hurt than some old sled."

Petunia stuck her tongue out then pushed off down the hill. Even with her fancy flyer she sat cautiously and went slowly. Lily on the other hand did as Sev would have if his cardboard sled didn't stop at the bottom. Lily's sled was going so fast that she crossed the road and got at least halfway into the parking lot.

"Lily Evans! I'm telling Mum!" Petunia shouted. "You're not supposed to cross the road. You could get hurt, or worse wreck your sled."

"Oh shut up," Snape barked at her. "That was brilliant." Apparently Severus wasn't the only one who thought so as many of the other sliders had cheered for Lily then tried to out do her. Their fun came to an end when the storeowner followed by a police officer showed up.

"I've told you kids, if you can't stay on that side of the road, I'll put an end to it." So he did.

In honor of being kicked off the slide hill, Petunia asked, "Who wants to go back to our house for cocoa?" Of course her friends and kids from their neighborhood all said yes. The Evans' were known for their mom's hot chocolate and cookies. The kids from dodgier parts knew better. Severus however followed the group headed for Lily's house. His pathetic cardboard sled abandoned he put his hands in the pockets of his oversized coat. They had walked a few blocks when Lily took notice of something. "Oooh Sev, you re ankles. Don't you have any sox?" Her question garnered a shrug from Severus. "Aren't you cold?"

"What if I am?" Snape said a bit defensively. "Nothing I can do about it."

Petunia's antennas went up. She hadn't noticed 'that Snape boy' was following them until Lily had spoken to him. The blond sister marched right up to him poking him with her finger. "Who said you could come? I didn't invite - - you."

Severus shrank back before scowling. He was about to say something like 'who wants your crappy cocoa anyway?'

Before the boy could put his foot in his mouth, Lily made it clear. "Well I AM inviting him, so you keep your mouth shut." She had a waggling finger of her own.

"We'll see what Mum has to say about that." Petunia turned on her heals to march back to the head of the line. On arriving at the Evans house, the children were greeted by Mrs. Evans warm-heartedly. "Oh, here are my Tuney and Lily's little friends." She smiled and told them there was a fresh batch of cookies and, "In a jiffy I can whip up some cocoa. Now take your outside gear off out here." So the children left their boots, coats, mittens, and scarves on the enclosed porch. Severus only had his worn shoes to take off. His coat was not leaving him.

Mrs. Evans took note of each child as they came in, so as to know how many mugs of hot chocolate to make. "Janey, Billy, Sarah, Jane, Dexter and - - " She hadn't seen this ragamuffin before.

"This is Severus Mum," Lily informed as she took her friend by the arm. "The boy I told you about."

"Oh yes, Severus." At first she wasn't sure what to think, but her heart was soon feeling a bit sorry for the boy who's face, hands, and now bare feet were positively red from the cold. "Come on in Severus and get warmed up."

Petunia's face sank. It was clear Mum was not going to deny entry to the boy she considered nothing more than a vagabond.

"Your coat's all wet lad," Mrs. Evans pointed out. "You won't get warm with that on." The boy stared up blankly. He wasn't going to take it off unless asked to. "Well, off with it." Severus reluctantly obeyed. Mrs. Evans didn't notice, but some of the other children giggled at the feminine style shirt the Snape boy was wearing.

Janey whispered to Lily, "He's wearing a girl's shirt."

"Hush," Lily scolded in a hushed tone. "His family is really poor and - - " She stopped explaining when Sev got into earshot.

Mrs. Evans was putting plates of different kinds of cookies on the table. "Now help yourselves," She offered. Most of the children took one of each type and carefully placed them on the paper napkins Mrs. Evans had given them. Some nibbled on one while waiting for the cocoa to go with them. Severus had wolfed down five and was reaching for another when Dexter asked, "How many can you eat?" Sev was finished with cookie number six when he became aware everyone was looking at him licking his fingers for the sweet crumbs. Instantly he put his hands in his lap and tried to look act if he had been taught some manners.

"There are other people who'd like some of the cookies," Petunia scolded.

"Your mum said to help ourselves."

After glairing at Severus for a while, the children's attention went to Mrs. Evans who was humming as she stirred the warming milk. She hadn't heard any of this conversation. They watched in anticipation as she added the chocolate powder to the mix. Severus however was looking around the kitchen amazed at how clean everything was. Soon Mrs. Evans was calling out, "All right children bring your mugs. The cocoa is ready."

The children lined up at its end stood the scruffy boy. It had been years since he had had a proper mug of hot chocolate so he wasn't sure what to expect. Just the smell of it made him dizzy. When the sweet warm drink was finally going down his throat, it warmed him all the way through. In spite of the admonition he'd been given earlier, he continued to eat quite a few of the cookies. Seeing this and thinking it might not be such a good idea for the boy to be ingesting that much sugar, the girls' mother asked, "Perhaps I should make you a sandwich Severus?"

Not quite believing his ears Snape did not answer. Petunia was giving her mother a cross look while thinking, 'If you feed it, we'll never get it to leave.'

Mrs. Evans had not waited for the boy to answer. She went ahead and began to get the ingredients for a leftover chicken sandwich. That and a glass of milk were put down in front of the skinny boy who gulped that down just as fast as the cookies. As the cookies and cocoa disappeared so did the other children. As predicted by Petunia, Severus was in no rush to go back to his house. She went off to do her own thing leaving Lily to entertain the unwanted, at least by her, guest. "Hey Sev," Lily asked, "You like records right?"

"Yeah," was the boy's short answer.

"We just got a new Christmas record from our cousins in America." She ran off to get said record. When she returned Lily showed the cover to the boy. "Look Sev, there's Santa, a snowman, and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. That's the name of this record."

Severus looked at the cover illustrated with puppets. He thought this 'Santa' character was dubious. The man in the red suit had missed his house the last four years. He had a feeling Father Christmas would be scarred off by his own father again this year.

"Come on Sev." Lily was pulling the boy to the living room where the Evans' had not just a little record player, but a stereo system. Lily put the record on. "This is my favorite song of the whole thing." The girl put the neddle down on the record and the song began:

_Holly Jolly Christmas_

_Johnny Marks (c) 1962_

_Have a holly, jolly Christmas;_

_It's the best time of the year_

_I don't know if there'll be snow,_

_but have a cup of cheer._

_Have a holly, jolly Christmas;_

_And when you walk down the street_

_Say Hello to friends you know_

_and everyone you meet._

_Oh, ho, the mistletoe_

_hung where you can see;_

_Somebody waits for you;_

_Kiss her once for me._

_Have a holly jolly Christmas,_

_and in case you didn't hear,_

_Oh by golly, have a holly,_

_jolly Christmas this year._

Lily played the rest of the record, but kept going back to this song. Hours later the two of them were belting the song out along with the record. That was the sound that greeted Mr. Evans when he came home from work. "Well I see someone has the Christmas spirit."

"Hi Daddy!" Lily ran to her father for a gigantic hug.

"Hi Lily flower." He looked at the strange boy who was in his living room with his youngest daughter. "Who's this?"

"This is my friend Severus."

"Hello Severus."

"Hello Mr. Evans," Sev responded bashfully. "I guess I should be leaving."

"Yes," Mr. Evans said. "It will be getting dark soon. Wouldn't want your parents to worry."

"No - - "

Lily followed Severus as he went to put his shoes and coat back on. "Wait she told him." She rummaged in some grocery bags that were lined up on the porch. She pulled out a pair of adult sized sox and a sweater. "Put these on. They're a bit big, but they'll be warm." Never sure how to react to kindness, Severus hesitated. "Here." Lily shoved the sox into his hands and Sev pulled them over his cold feet. As he was pulling on the way too big sweater, Petunia showed up.

"Hey, that stuff was for the poor box at church. Not - - "

"So what!" Lily huffed. "Mum and Dad are giving them away, why can't Sev have something?"

Petunia made a snort. "At least it's not Mum's sweater you're giving him."

The boy looked dejected as the unkind girl walked away. "Don't listen to Tuney, Sev. She doesn't like to share with anyone, not even me." She gave him a little hug as he was going out the door.

"Thanks for the stuff," Sev said.

"Don't forget."

"Forget what?"

"To have a holly jolly Christmas this year."

The boy left with a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his heart. This was shaping up to be the best Christmas ever.

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

Jolly Holly chapter 2

The next morning Severus kept to his usual habit of following the Evans girls from their house to the muggle school they went to. Sev' mother had taken great care that he should not come into the awareness of muggle school officials. Wizard children just didn't go to muggle schools. It was too risky. A simple moment of accidental magic might be explained away on a playground, not so easily in a structured atmosphere.

Sometimes Snape dared to look through one of the windows hoping to get a glimpse at what Lily might be doing. This time of year the windows of the school were decorated with construction paper cut outs of Christmas trees, wreaths, present boxes, and other such things that the children had made in their classes. Lily thought she had seen her odd friend for a moment as she put up her decoration of a snowman that looked similar to the one on the record they had listened to the night before.

It made Severus think of the song again. 'Not likely to forget it,' he thought to himself. How many times had they listened to it? Beginning to feel cold the boy thought it would be better to come back when the Evans girls were walking home. He left the school humming 'Holly Jolly Christmas'. He even did as the song suggested; 'say hello to friends you know, and everyone you meet.'

"Hello!" the boy said to a bum on a bus stop bench.

"Hello yourself," the bum mumbled back.

"Hello," Sev said to the grocery cart lady he saw every day.

The woman suspiciously asked. "What you want?" She maneuvered herself so as to not let the little rascal steal any of her precious junk in her cart.

"Nothing. Just saying hello."

"For what?"

"It's Christmastime."

"Oh."

The shopping cart lady and the little boy went their separate ways.

"Hello," Severus said to a trio of crows sitting on a telephone wire. Why should they be left out?

Walking past the parking lot that was serving as a tree sales place, Sev looked at all the green fresh Christmas trees. He vaguely remembered having a nice tree on time. "Hello," he said to the man selling the trees.

"You back again?"

"I'm just looking."

"Well, look somewhere else."

'That's not very jolly of him,' Snape thought as he walked away. Days before he had peeked at some of the prices on the trees. There was no way he'd ever scrape up enough. The eager boy kept hoping the closer to the holiday it got, there might be markdowns; no such luck.

Trying to get warm was now the main concern. Severus was trying to think of a place he could go inside to do that without someone getting mad and throwing him out. Going home, unless he had to, was the last thing Sev wanted. A growling stomach made the boy think of a store where they left out samples. It had been a while since he'd been kicked out of there. Maybe they had forgotten.

This seemed to be a prime idea, as he was able to eat a number of cheeses with crackers, little sausages on toothpicks, and a handful of vanilla petit fours washed down with some ginger ale before one of the sales ladies scolded him and told him to get out before he was pitched out. Severus didn't mind. He had already gobbled up more than he ate most days. So there was no argument over what the meaning of 'free samples' actually was. Being warmed up enough that he could walk around outside for a little while longer. The rest of the day went in a likewise manner until Sev knew Lily's school was getting out. Instead of stealth in following them, he outright stood there waiting. Lily and Petunia were walking out when the older of the sisters spotted him first. "What are 'you' doing here?"

"Waiting for Lily."

Lily seemed pleased when she asked, "You were waiting for me?"

"Don't you have your own school to be at?" Petunia cross-examined.

"No," Severus said not really caring what Petunia thought. "Wizards don't go to school till they're eleven."

"He's still claiming to be a - - "

"You'll see when the letters come!" Sev turned to the girl he wanted to talk to. "Do you want to go to where the canal is frozen over?"

It was Petunia who answered, "No she doesn't. Mummy and Daddy said that's not safe."

"Who asked you?"

Lily stopped the argument by saying, "Tuney is right. I can't go there."

"Pluuuus," Petunia interrupted. "We're decorating our tree today." Suddenly realizing her mistake in letting Severus know she added, "Just us."

"Don't lie Tuney," Lily insisted. "Mum said we could ask a friend each."

"But - - "

"Severus," Lily started to ask.

"Lily don't."

"You are not going to tell me who I can invite. I was going to ask him anyway."

"You were?" It was Severus' turn to be pleasantly surprised.

"I was."

Petunia looked cross as Lily and Sev smiled at each other. She started walking so the other two followed.

Lily inquired, "Who did you ask Tuney?"

"I'm going to ask Chrissy from next door."

"You're just asking her because you know she doesn't like me!"

"Well your friend doesn't like me," Petunia snapped. "So we're even."

Lily and Severus lagged back as Petunia huffed off.

Feeling awkward Sev said, "Maybe I shouldn't - - "

"Nonsense," Lily jumped in. "I already told my mum I was inviting you."

"And she didn't mind?"

"Course not."

Mrs. Evans again plied the Snape boy with goodies until Mr. Evans came home early with the tree; the wonderful, glorious, full, tall, fragrant tree. On seeing Severus, Lily's father said, "Well this year we'll have a strapping lad around to help me put the tree in the stand. Sev thought the man must have been joking until he called the boy over to hold the tree steady while he screwed it into place. The little boy disappeared into the branches as he held it up for Mr. Evans.

"Oh wait,' Mr. Evans proclaimed. "We're going to have to prune some of the bottom branches to get it in proper. Lift it out."

Pulling with all of his might, which unfortunately wasn't that much, Snape managed to lift the heavy tree the three inches up out of the stand. Then he and the tree began to sway. 'I wish I had a wand.' "Mr. Evans - - " Sway. "Mr. Evans." Sway. "Mr. Evvvvvvvaaaaaans." Severus plummeted to the floor, clinging to the tree which landed on top of him. "Mr. Evans?"

"Oh dear," Lily's father looked down to see arms and legs flailing among the branches. He pulled both back to an upright position. "Maybe I should hold the tree, and you can clip the branches."

This was a new twist; Tobias had never asked Severus to help him with anything, let alone trust him with something that could lop off a finger or two.

"Here, you take the clippers." Mr. Evans took out of his work belt a compact pair of garden clippers. "Get those four bottom branches." Sev shimmied under the tree to do as told. He needed both hands to work the same pair of clippers that normally took only one.

"S'not working Mr. Evans."

"It will lad. Just use more muscle." Hadn't he noticed Sev had no muscle? "I won't have to get Tuney to help, will I?"

"No - - " That was enough to get Snape to put in the extra effort to cut through the branch. There was no way he was going to let Petunia help. Now that he knew what he was doing, the boy made short work of the other three. It was actually kind of cool to do something with Lily's Dad.

"That wasn't so difficult, now was it?" Mr. Evans put the newly shorn tree trunk back down into the stand. "Be a good lad and clamp it in." This part was easy. When done there was one more task for the boy. "Bring those branches out to the curb."

Severus nodded and quickly dragged the branches outside, but not to the curb. He put them in a spot where he could bring them home with him later.

Having sorted out the lights the night before, putting them on was not a chore. "My job is done," Mr. Evans said once they were on. "You kids can decorate it now. I'm going to have a sit down." No one noticed the boy jumping slightly when Mr. Evans said this. When his Dad said he was 'going to have a sit down' it meant to drink a beer. As the Evans' sisters brought in the boxes of tree ornaments, Mrs. Evans brought her husband milk and cookies; no beer; no whisky; no other things that made Daddies mean.

Petunia was once again complaining, "Mummy, that boy has pitch all over him. He'll ruin the ornaments."

The mother of the house examined the boy's hands. They were indeed black and sticky. "Oh my, we better take care of that." She led Snape off to get his hands scrubbed. By the time he returned, the three girls were hanging brightly colored glass balls on the tree's branches. Severus grabbed a few and began to do likewise.

"Hey," Petunia Sputtered. "Don't put all one color in one spot. Spread them out."

Doing just what Petunia had said didn't seem to be right either. The neighbor girl, Chrissy commented, "The big ones go down bottom. Haven't you ever decorated a Christmas tree before?"

"Loads of times," Sev lied.

Wanting to rescue her friend from the situation, Lily suggested, "Let's sing that song."

"What song?" Petunia asked.

"The one from the record."

"That stupid one you and - - " Petunia pointed to Sev, refusing to use his name. "And 'HIM' listened to a billion times yesterday?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"I don't want to sing that song."

"Well we do."

Knowing that Petunia didn't like it, Severus did not protest Lily speaking for him. It made him want to sing it even more. He and Lily began to sing 'Holly Jolly Christmas' over and over, and over. By the time they had gotten to put the tinsel on the tree the two of them were throwing it on the tree and everyone else to the rhythm of the song. This and their giggling made Chrissy head for the door.

"You two are making a mess!" Petunia scolded.

"We're having fun," Lily defended. "Maybe if you - - "

Her friend no longer there to back her up, Petunia lashed out, "Fun for you, but you've ruined it for me!"

"Oh dear," Mr. Evans said from behind his newspaper. He saw the tree and any sense of scolding Lily disappeared. "The tree is lovely. What's the problem Tuney?"

Tuney was turning blue from holding her breath until she blurted out. "THOSE TWO!" The elder of the Evans girls stormed out after throwing a glob of tinsel off her head and onto the floor.

"Lily, you mustn't annoy Tuney."

"But we weren't doing anything bad."

"I know, but - - I'd like to keep some peace in this house."

While father and daughter were talking, Severus took the opportunity to do as Petunia's friend had done and snuck out. He didn't want to be there when Mr. Evans got to the point where he said that the boy was a bad influence. That wasn't said. Lily wondered where her friend had gotten to. "Sev?" She looked around the room. "Dad, did you see where Severus went?"

"No," Mr. Evans said. "Must have been supper time."

"I guess." Lily was a little disappointed that her friend had not said goodbye, but it was soon forgotten as they went to have their own supper.

Out on the street, a little boy was dragging four tree branches back to Spinners End, singing, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas - - "

tbc

_There are a few more chapters. I was hoping to have this finished before Christmas, but it's turning out longer than I thought. So maybe before Orthodox Christmas lol._


	3. Chapter 3

Jolly Holly chapter 3

-

"Our first Christmas at Hogwarts," Lily said. Both she and her friend were ready to burst with excitement. They had just been asked to take part in the Christmas celebrations. It was Snape's own fault he had been chosen. He had been the one repeatedly, though unconsciously, singing "Silver and Green, Sliver and Green," in Charms class.

Lily suggested, "We can sing - - the song."

Severus' face looked a little blank. "Here - - in front of - - everyone?"

"You're not going to play shy now are you?"

"I'm not playing Lils." The dark hired boy looked down at his feet. "I don't like being noticed. I wish Flitwick had chosen someone else to represent Slytherin."

"You sing it all the time at home."

"That's to annoy your sister." A sly grin appeared on Sev's face. Both kids were laughing shortly after.

"What's so funny - - Snivelly?" Sirius Black always showed up to ruin any bit of joy Snape might have.

"Mind your own business," Evans defended.

"You two are here in a public corridor. I'm part of the public, so it is my business."

"You don't own the school," Severus scoffed.

"No your pal Malfoy seems to."

Just as Sirius was saying this, a boy much taller and older stepped up behind him. "Did I hear someone mentioning me?" Lucius Malfoy's smooth voice brought the argument to a stop. "Well, if it isn't my favorite member of the Black family."

Not yet having the nerve to talk back to Lucius, Sirius could only resort to letting his voice echo his resentment, "Good to se you to Malfoy."

"Run along now." Malfoy waved Black off. "I need a word with Mr. Snape." With a dirty look Sirius walked off. "So who's your little friend Severus?"

Snape answered nervously, "Lily Evans."

Lucius had been giving Lily his intense scrutiny the entire time. "A Gryfindor how interesting." Neither first years replied. The Slytherin prefect seemed to know about her already. "A muggle-born as well, very interesting." Sev was looking nervously from Lily to Malfoy hoping his friend wouldn't say anything to the older boy who had become a bit of a protector for the younger one. "We'll have to have another talk, later Severus."

Snape nodded. He already knew what Lucius Malfoy was going to tell him about whom he associated with. When Malfoy was gone Lily asked, "What was that about?"

Not wanting to tell Lily how many of the other Slytherin felt about muggles and muggle-borns Severus mumbled, "Nothing. Nothing important."

"He's a little - - " Lily couldn't think of a word. "Something about him - - he seems all smooth on the surface, but something's rotten inside."

"How can you say that? He keeps Black and Potter off my back."

Seeing this was a pricklely subject Lily moved to change it. "So, shall we see if the other two will sing Holly Jolly Christmas with us?"

"It's up to you," Severus gave in. "If that's what you want."

-

A few days later at the Christmas feast, the night before everyone was going home, different groups sang Christmas songs. It was mostly the actual choir that Professor Flitwick directed. In the middle of the concert the little teacher announced, "Now this year Professor Dumbledore has asked me to choose four first years, one from each house, to sing together in a gesture of inter-house cooperation." He called up from one side to the other. "From Gryfindor, Lily Evans." Her house clapped wildly, some from the other's politely. "From Hufflepuff, Anthony Amarilli." The Hufflepuffs showed their house pride by clapping as loudly as Gryfindor had. "From Ravenclaw Clara Quickthought." Even Flitwick clapped for his own house. "And from Slytherin - - " There was a slight groan from the other house tables. "Severus Snape." The Slytherin table burst into cheers; Professor Slughorn looked pleased as punch. Severus however was frozen to his seat.

Lucius glared at the younger boy. In his smooth but threatening tone Malfoy made himself clear, "You volunteered for this, get up there. Don't make us look bad." With his marching orders from Malfoy, Snape made his way to where the other three kids were standing.

Lily whispered, "What's wrong?"

Sev whispered back, "I told you I don't like - - " Before he could say 'crowds,' Flitwick was telling them to begin.

It was actually kind of cute to see the eleven and twelve-year-olds singing the song, but Severus knew he was never going to hear the end of this from other Slytherins or the marauders.

-

Not knowing why Remus had asked, Lily answered when he inquired about the song back in the common room later that night. She explained all about the muggle story of the little reindeer that saved Christmas. She didn't tell him that Severus had learned it at her house. Severus had made her promise that she would not tell other students that he lived in a muggle place. The next day on the train she found the reason for his interest. Just as Severus found the compartment where Lily was sitting with her two friends Alice and Mary along with Lupin, James, Sirius and Peter came up behind him and began to belt out, "Sniv'lus the abnormally large nose Slytherin, had a huge humongous nose - - " It continued in a like manner.

Lily saw Severus' face covered with first anger at the marauders, then sadness and heartache when he looked through the glass at her. The boy ran form all of them. Lily opened the compartment door and called after him, "Sev!" Before going after her friend, she turned to Remus with the look of a mother panther defending her young. "This is why you asked me about the song? So your friends could tease Severus?"

"I told them not to," Lupin pleaded his case.

"They listen so well to you. Some friends."

The other marauders were still laughing as Lily took off after Snape. Mary was suppressing a laugh as well. Alice gave them all a dirty look. "That was really mean."

"It was Snivellus," Potter and Black droned out simultaneously.

Shaking her head Alice opened a book to read. Remus looked embarrassed if not ashamed at what his friends had done and did likewise.

"Hey Remus," James said. "Do you think Evans will sit back here?"

"Are you dense?"

"I was just going to ask you to move to another compartment so if she does - - "

Alice spoke up again, "You think she'll sit with you after what you just did?"

"Why not?"

"You are dense. Who did she just run after? Not you."

"I'll sit here anyway."

"Then I'm leaving."

"Good then Sirius can sit with us."

Peter looked worried, "What about me?"

"Mary won't mind going with Alice, will you Mary?"

"Get bent."

-

He was sitting at the back of the train, sitting with the luggage when Lily found Sev. "You told them," he accused between sniffles.

"I told Remus about the story," Lily admitted. "I didn't think he would - - "

"That's right, you didn't think. You know how they are."

"I only told Lupin. He's my friend too."

"You shouldn't have told any of them. That was ours. I don't tell any of the Slytherin your secrets."

"I hardly think a Christmas story is a secret."

"You don't understand. Nobody makes fun of you."

"You should learn to ignore them."

"Ignore the magnificent marauders? How can anyone ignore them, they're everywhere. Involved in ev-er-y-thing."

"Sev please," Lily sat next to Severus. She took out some tissues to mop up the tears and snots running down his face. "I don't want you to be sad at Christmas." The boy was not getting any happier. "Remember that other song on 'our' record?"

"Which one?" At least he had answered her.

The red haired girl began to sing, "We're a couple of misfits - - "

"Stop it Lily," Severus interrupted. "You're not anything close to a misfit. I'm the only misfit around here, and I'd rather not be reminded."

"Sorry, I thought it would cheer you up."

The two of them sat there in a silent stupor for a few minutes before Snape said, "It's ridiculously cold back here. Why don't you go back and sit with your friends, Mary, Alice, and - - " He saved his most disdainful tone for the last one. " - - Lupin."

"Because I'm sitting with my best friend, Severus." Like something out of a lame musical, Lily broke into another song from the Rudolph record, "There's always tomorrow - - " Seeing that Snape was still in no mood for it, she stopped. "Well tomorrow we will be decorating our Christmas tree. You will come over, won't you Sev?"

Her friend still looked terribly hurt until the side of his mouth curled up into a grin of sorts. "Who else is going to help your Dad get it into that dodgy stand, or eat all of you Mum's sugar cookies?"

"Now that's my Sev."

"I didn't know there was another one."

"There isn't."

tbc

_Still a couple more to go, then back to my regular stories._


	4. Chapter 4

Jolly Holly chapter 4

Second Year

"You're not going home for Christmas?" Lily's face looked worried. "It's going to be weird not having you help with the tree."

There was a pang of regret in Severus' heart. It had only been for three years, but it was sort of a tradition the he would go over on the day the Evans' tree went up. If he could go home for that only, he wouldn't have minded. It was all the other things that went on at his home that kept him away. Summer had been bad enough. To go home for a few weeks, when he didn't have to, was not in the plans.

"I wish you had told me sooner," Lily said disappointedly.

Severus sighed before mumbling, "What could you have done?"

"Nothing, but - - " Refusing to be sucked into Sev's sphere of sadness, the girl said something other than she had started to. "We have two days before I go home. We can do something."

"Okay," Severus mumbled. He was really disappointed that he wouldn't be at Lily's house this year, but still didn't want to go home. "Like what?"

"I don't know right now. We're late for potions."

The two second-years ran for the stairs that led down to the dungeon classroom where they were just late for the class they shared. "Just because you two are top of the class," Professor Slughorn lectured, "Doesn't mean you can waltz in here late."

"We didn't mean to," Lily explained.

"Take your seats, and I'll see you both this afternoon for a short detention."

Under his breath Severus repeated the word, "Detention?" 'Just for being a few minutes late?'

Not having to talk to communicate the potions partners began to work on the assignment on the blackboard. Others in the room however weren't going to be silent.

"Oi Evans," Potter called over. "Why were you and the Slytherin late?"

Lily ignored the boy. She could hear Black add his theory, "Probably had to de-grease Snivellus before she had to sit next to him." Potter and Pettigrew snickered, while Lupin had an embarrassed look on his face. Lily went to weighing out the ingredients for their brew. Severus had heard the 'joke' and was boring holes in Sirius with his eyes. He was so intent on glairing at Black and his friends that he didn't take his hands off the cauldron he had just set on the flame. A minute later there was a slight smell of burning flesh before Snape yelped out an, "Ouch!"

The injured boy waved the burnt hand in the air trying to will the pain away. Many of his classmates cringed. Lily called out, "Sev." She took his hand to look at it. "Oooh."

Professor Slughorn moved faster than any of the kids remembered ever seeing him move. "Severus," formality was dropped. "Let me see that." Even the experienced potions master cringed on seeing the wounded palm. "We better get some ditiny on that." As Slughorn led Snape across the hall to the potions storage area, snickers could be heard from the marauder's table.

"What a klutz," Black began.

Potter mused, "How is it he's first in this class?"

"Because he rides on Evan's coattails," Black dug in.

"How is it, you two can be such jerks?" Lily shot back at them.

The other Slytherin in the class were not going to let their friend go only defended by a Gryfindor. Mulciber stood overshadowing all four of the marauders. "Snape's smarter than all four of you even if his brain was tied behind his back."

This statement only made the Gryfindors burst out in laughter. "So that's what happened, Snivelly's brain was tied behind his back."

Mulciber's face showed that he was thinking, hard. Still not realizing what he had said hadn't helped; he did what he did best. The large Slytherin shoved Lupin into the other marauders knocking all of them over.

"Hey," Lily spoke up. "He wasn't the one picking on Severus."

Mulciber grunted at Lily and moved back to his own place.

Before going back to her potion brewing Lily huffed out, "Boys!"

A while later their teacher returned with the injured boy. Severus' hand was wrapped up in bandages.

"Good way to get out of class work," Sirius whispered his derision. "Snivellus."

Lily shook her head. Speaking so only Snape could hear her she said, "I don't understand them." At first these words gave Severus a good feeling. Then she added, "They don't act like this in Gryfindor tower." Severus looked at his friend wondering how she acted in Gryfindor tower. How well did she know his tormentors? He knew she was friends with Lupin. Did she actually talk to the other three in their own house?

After potions Lily and Severus didn't see each other again until they were back in Slughorn's classroom for the 'detention.'

"What a day it's been," the jolly professor said when he bound into the room. When the two students looked up the teacher had a few things in his arms. Two bottles of butter beer were plopped down on the brew table. Then a box of tiny cakes with Christmas colored frosting was opened. Finally one of two wrapped up boxes found their way in front of the students. "Thought I'd have a little party with my best potions students." Slughorn laughed so as to remind the youngsters of Santa himself. Slughorn took out another bottle for himself. The kids had a feeling that it did not contain butter beer. "A toast." The still somewhat shocked students fumbled with the caps on their bottles then joined the professor in holding up their drinks. "The future."

Both Severus and Lily toasted back, "The future." Severus couldn't take his eyes off of Lily. She was so happy; it made him happy. He began to think of 'the future.'

"Eat up." Slughorn's words interrupted Snape's daydream. All three reached for one of the tiny cakes. Lily smiled as her hand and Sev's collided in the box. Sev smiled too, but bashfully looked away.

"Now," Slughorn insisted, "Open your presents."

The children gave each other looks before ripping into the wrapping paper that covered the shoebox-sized packages. Inside were about a dozen vials of essential oils used in potion making, and a few pouches of dry ingredients. Lily jumped up and hugged the old professor. "Thank you Sir."

"Your welcome Miss. Evans."

Severus seemed overwhelmed. He had a lump in his throat as he said his, "Thank you Sir." He was not going to hug Slughorn. However he did say, "This is the best detention ever."

The three of them burst out into laughter. Slughorn wiped away the laughter tears from his eyes, as he said, "Just don't let anyone else know, wouldn't want to get a reputation for being soft on tardy students."

"Not a word Professor." Both students promised as they clanked their butter beer bottles together again.

A half an hour later, the butter beer and cakes being consumed, Slughorn let Lily and Severus 'out of detention.'

It was too early to go to the great hall for dinner, so Severus thought they could spend some time together. He asked Lily, "So, can we do some of that celebrating you talked about earlier?"

Lily paused before answering, "I actually have a ton of things to do."

"Things?"

"It's a surprise Sev."

"I'd rather - - "

"You'll see tomorrow."

"Do you really have to - - "

"Trust me Sev. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is the last day before you go home."

"And if I don't take care of these things today, I can't spend it with you."

"Well when you put it that way."

"See you tomorrow Sev."

"Okay, tomorrow."

Back in the Gryfindor common room Lily ran into someone she would rather not have. James was sitting by the fire thinking his luck had just begun. "Hey Evans."

"Don't you hey Evans me like you're my friend."

"What are you getting all defensive about?"

"I haven't forgotten what you said in potions today."

"That was a compliment to you."

"It's not a compliment insulting someone else. You've always got something horrible to say about Severus Snape."

"If he wasn't so horrible, I wouldn't have to say them."

"I don't understand you Potter." Lily shook her head. "I've seen you go out of your way to help your friends, even be kind to strangers; why do you go out of your way just as much to tease one boy?"

"It's Snivellus."

"That's not his name."

"Why do 'you' always defend him?" It was not a question; it was an accusation. "Are you sweet on Snivelly?"

Lily went red, Not in embarrassment, but in livid anger. She was sick of people thinking that if a girl had a boy for a friend, they must be 'sweet' on them. "If I was, what's it to you?"

James was not about to tell her the truth, that he was sweet on her; instead he resorted to his stock insults of Snape. "Just can't picture someone like you attached to the scrawny, greasy, Slytherin is all."

"I see you are just full of the Christmas spirit, aren't you Potter?"

"Really Evans, what has that to do with why you are friends with that git."

"He's not a git. You don't know anything about him."

"I don't want to know anything about him." Potter apparently thought he was smooth. "I want to know about you."

Lily made an aggravated sound before ending the conversation with, "Grow up."

Going up to the girls dorm, Lily put away her books and the gift from Slughorn and began working on something else, something she had to finish before the next day.

Meanwhile in the Slytherin dormitory Severus was making something he wanted to finish that day as well. He had been working on it for a few days, but hadn't put the finishing touch on it. He didn't want any of his roommates to know what he was up to, so he went to a place where few people would disturb him. The problem was, he shouldn't be there and someone wouldn't stop bothering him.

"I thought you haunted the girl's lavatory," Severus asked the ghost in an annoyed tone.

"DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T GO VISITTING!" Moaning Myrtle yelled back.

"Can you visit quietly?"

"Sure."

Severus took out his wand and waved it over the object he had made. The ghost thought the incantation the boy was saying was odd, she tried to help by incanting along.

"Shut up, or leave," Snape scowled at the ghost.

The ghost looked offended. "I'm just helping."

"You're not helping, you're going to ruin what I'm making."

"What are you making?"

"None of your business."

"If you keep insulting me, I'm going to leave."

Wasn't that exactly what Severus wanted? "You are the most annoying ghost in this whole castle."

"ANNOYING!"

"AN-NOY-ING!"

Myrtle's face scrunched up. "Well then, I wont an-noy you any further."

"Good." To the Slytherin boy nothing sounded as good as the splash of the annoying ghost splashing away down one of the toilet. "Finally." He continued to cast his spell on the object. "This is going to be great. She'll love it." He thought again. "I hope." He looked at his handy work one more time before wrapping it in a discarded piece of parchment. "She will."

The next day the two friends had no classes together, but they managed to find each other in the time between their last class and the Christmas feast. There would be no homework to come between them that day. "Hi," they greeted each other.

Remembering what Lily had said the day before Severus asked, "So, how are we going to celebrate?"

"You'll see when we get to Hagrid's,"

"Hagrid's?"

"Well, not quite Hagrid's."

"What's out there?"

"You'll see."

The whole way down the hill Severus kept asking what they were going to see. Lily kept telling him he had to wait. When she led the way into the forbidden forest, he had to say something else. "You know they call this place the forbidden forest for a reason." If he had been talking to one of his Slytherin friends he might have added 'duh' but seeing it was Lily he didn't.

"I asked Hagrid if it would be alright, and he said it would be."

"What would be?" Severus' hand movements accentuated the fact that he wanted information.

"That would be, right over this hill," Lily informed. "Close your eyes."

"Close my eyes?"

"You do like to repeat things don't you?"

Severus was about to repeat that, but he stopped himself. "Okay, I'm closing my eyes. This better be good."

"You'll see."

"Right now I can't see anything."

Lily took Severus' hand and he thought, 'Hey this could be good.' He could tell when they started down the hill. "Can I open yet?"

"Not yet." She let go of his hand. "Now wait."

"Wait she says. If I wait any longer I'll - - "

"Then you better open your eyes."

When Snape opened his eyes, he didn't know what he was supposed to be looking at. "So - - why did we come out to the middle of the forbidden forest?"

"Sev, the tree."

"Tree."

"Repeating again."

"This is a forest. There's nothing but trees here."

The girl was wondering if all boys were this dense. "The one that looks like a CHRISTMAS TREE Sev."

"Oh." He had seen the little evergreen in the midst of the other types of trees. He hadn't made the connection to a Christmas tree. Christmas trees were found in parking lots, not forests. "Oh yeah, Christmas tree."

"And I - - " Lily went behind a bigger tree to retrieve a large box. " - - Have what we need to make it a Christmas tree."

Rather than asking the question, Sev went over to see what Lily had in the box. Some of them were painted cardboard cut into stars, Santas, snowmen, and reindeer. Some were covered in sliver foil. Some of them were chains of parchment. There were garlands of popcorn, and garlands of cranberries. "Lily, you made all of this?" She nodded. "This is, is, excellent."

"Here, put the star on top." She handed her friend the biggest silver star and he reached up to the top of the small tree to place it in its place of honor. "You can come and visit it every day." When they were done decorating the woodland tree, looking at the finished product, Severus pulled a flat object wrapped in parchment.

"I made something for you too," the boy told. "But you're not to open it until you are home the night you decorate your tree."

"Why not?"

"You'll see."

Later they went to the Christmas feast then said their farewells as those going home were taking the train. Tucked into Lily Evans' school bag was that parchment package. There was more than one time when she thought of opening it before time. 'No,' she thought. 'I made Sev wait, I'll wait.'

When she and her family began to decorate their tree, Petunia proclaimed, "Well I'm glad that Snape boy didn't come home. I won't have to listen to you two sing that daft song."

"Oh!" Lily jumped up. "I almost forgot." She ran up to her room to fetch the package. "I was told to open this when we were trimming the tree."

"What is it?" Petunia turned up her nose at the outside of the package.

"A present from Severus."

This made Lily's sister even think the object was even more dubious. Lily opened it to find a hand drawn Christmas card. On the out side there were holly leaves. On the inside was not the best self portrait of Severus. When she looked inside, the stick figure began to sing, "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year - - "

Lily looked at Petunia and said, "Guess again." All during the trimming of the tree, she opened it over and over so she could sing along with her friend. And properly annoy her sister. She pictured Severus visiting 'their' tree in the forest. She hoped his Christmas was Jolly.

tbc


	5. Chapter 5

Jolly Holly chapter 5

Year three

"See look," Sev told Lily. "I saved most of them."

Lily peered inside of the dilapidated cardboard box. There they were most of the tree decorations that she had made the year before. She picked up some of her favorites; The snowman and the star. "This is so sweet Sev."

Severus blushed and bashfully got out the words, "It was sweet of you to make them in the first place." Snape could talk a blue streak with Lily when it was about potions or charms or any other magical subject, but when it came to speaking his feelings he always got tongue tied. "So we can go decorate our tree sometime before you go home for the holidays."

"Of course." There was a odd silence that fell between them for a minute before Lily asked, "You sure you're not going to go home this year either?"

Severus nodded sadly not looking her in the eyes. "It's better that I don't."

"I bet your Mum misses you when you don't come home."

Lily had been trying to cheer the boy up, but it had the opposite effect. Severus' head seemed to skink lower; his dark hair falling into his eyes hiding what the girl was sure were tears about to well up if he didn't stop them. He wanted to go home to see his mother. It was his other parent he wanted to avoid, and at home there was no avoiding him. This last summer had been the worst so far.

Steeling himself Snape looked up and admitted, "Christmas is better here anyway." He then corrected himself, "Except for the part about not going to your house." It was the truth, there would be no Christmas dinner or decorations at Spinner's End, unless Father Christmas changed his mind and showed up after all. That was something Severus wouldn't bet on. If he were a muggle he probably wouldn't believe in Father Christmas anymore, but being a part of the wizarding world made young people believe in even the impossible. "Can we decorate the tree on Saturday?"

Lily looked as if she were embarrassed. As if she didn't want to tell Sev what she was going to tell him, "I promised some of the other Gryfindor girls I'd - - go into Hogemeade with them on Saturday."

Resigned to the fact that Lily was popular and had other friends, Severus didn't complain. He just said, "Oh."

Before he could even ask she was telling him that on Sunday she was studying with those girls for their Herbology midterm exam.

"There are two whole weeks after that," Severus said hopefully.

"That's right," Lily said encouragingly. "There has to be sometime when we can go down to the tree and decorate it." She could see Severus' doubt. "I promise." This did seem to brighten his face. After all she had never broken a promise she had made to him, yet. Wanting to change the subject Lily asked, "What are you doing this weekend?" Sev shrugged. "Are you going to go to Hogsmeade with some of your friends?"

Not wanting to seem too pathetic and say, 'What friends?' Severus said, "Oh sure."

"Maybe we'll run into each other there."

"Maybe." Severus had no intention of going into Hogsmeade. He had no money to do anything, and he wanted to be as far away from Potter and his friends, who of course would be there, as possible. "Let me know when you're free, and I'll bring the decorations down."

"Okay." The two stood staring at each other for another minute not sure what to say to each other. "It's getting late, I had better be getting back to Gryfindor tower, and you better get back to the Slytherin dorms before old Sluggy notices you're out."

"Yeah," Sev reluctantly agreed.

The two weeks before Christmas break seemed to fly by quickly, but Severus didn't mind that it was almost the last day again before Lily was free to go down to the forbidden forest and decorate 'their' tree. He didn't mind that the tree had grown more than he had, so he had to let Lily stand on his shoulders to put the star on top. He didn't mind that the construction paper figures were frayed from last years weather, or that some of them had parts missing, or that the tin foil covering some of them didn't shine as bright. This Christmas tree was still the most beautiful one to him. At Hogwarts that was saying something because they always had the biggest trees and most bedazzling decorations in the great hall. This one was better because he and Lily had decorated it together and without anyone else to butt in they sang their favorite Christmas song.

This time it was Lily who began to get teary. "Oh, Sev I do want you to have a holly jolly Christmas," she croaked out. "I wish you were my brother, then, then you could come home with me and never have to leave. Except for school of course." She grabbed a hold of him and slobbered all over the front of him. He didn't mind. What he did mind was not having the courage to tell her he wished to be something more than a brother to her; but if that was what she wanted, that was what he'd be.

"Maybe you could trade in Petunia for me?"

Tears were instantly gone and laughter replaced it as both children on the verge of becoming teenagers burst into laughter. "Oh if I only could."

Lily was still wishing she could trade in Petunia on the day the Evans' decorated their tree that year.

"Don't - - " Petunia was pleading. "Don't put that horrible thing on the tree."

"It's not horrible," Lily barked back.. "Severus made it."

"It's a - - Bat. There's nothing Christmas about a bat!"

"It's red and green. Those are the colors of Christmas."

"Lily's right dear," Mrs. Evans pointed out. "Those are the colors of Christmas."

"So, if I wanted to put a red and green terd on the tree it would be all right?"

"PETUNIA!" Both of the Evans parents shouted out.

"I think I know a young lady who's going to find a lump of coal in her stocking if she says things like that again," Mr. Evans teased.

Mrs. Evans added, "Santa will be very disappointed."

"Santa," Petunia huffed. She was fifteen, she didn't believe in Santa anymore. "There is no - - "

"PETUNIA!" The parents were shouting again. They wanted to believe that their younger daughter still believed.

The older girl seeing her parents concern changed what she was going to say. "There's no reason to involve Santa in this."

Both sisters continued to decorate their tree, but the older one had a sour look on her face. The younger one was once again reaching for that wretched card and singing that dreaded song again. Petunia became determined at that moment she was going to find where Lily kept that card when she went back to school. She plotted for it to be the last year she'd have to hear that voice singing that song.

Back at Hogwarts, Snape had been religiously visiting his and Lily's Christmas tree every day until the holiday. On Christmas morning he opened the package his friend had given him just before she got on the train home. It was a green ski hat and silver mittens that looked a little lopsided. Lily had made them herself. There was a note attached: _'to keep you warm when you go see our tree.' _She didn't know that just seeing the tree was enough to keep him warm. Yet when he put on the mittens, he liked the idea that his hands were in something her hands had made.

Severus' present to Lily that year was not one that he made. To him it was special because he had saved all term to get her something from a real store. He pictured her opening the 1lb. white chocolate snowman he had snuck into Hogsmeade to buy at Honeydukes. He would have smiled to know she'd eaten half of it by the end of the day.

It was New Years Eve when Severus thought he had better get some of the ornaments off the tree. That morning a storm had blown across the lake and was delivering very wet heavy snow. It was typical Scottish weather spitting at a horizontal direction. When Snape reached the tree half of the decorations had been blown away. The other half were coated in ice, so was Severus by the time he got back to the castle. What parts of him and his clothing that wasn't encased in ice had tree sap all over it. He had been compelled to climb the tree to retrieve the star on the top branch. There were a few pine needles stuck in his teeth as well. The wind had slapped a branch right in his face, when he said "Ouch!" it got him in the mouth. That's when he said ("Bleep").

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

\/p

Jolly Holly

Chapter 6

Year four

He was waiting for her, sitting on the stone steps in front of the oak doors. This year they could not meet each other until the night before the train brought those not staying for Christmas home. He sat there looking at the few surviving ornaments that she had made two years before. Severus didn't think they needed anything but them on 'their' tree, but Lily had told him she had made something else for it. She had gone to fetch that while he waited. Sev had been thinking of the tradition they had started. He remembers the fist time they put them on that little tree that had grown two times as large since. The daydream of that fond memory kept him from hearing four other boys sneaking down the steps to see what 'old Snivelly' was looking at.

"What you got there Snivellus?" Sirius said as he snatched the thread bare cardboard and tin foil star, the construction paper snowman and reindeer out of Severus' hand. "You're not planning on putting these nasty things on one of our trees are you?"

Severus stood yelling, "Give those back!" Severus had to jump to try and reach up to where Black was now holding them up above his head. At that age Black had a good foot and a half on Snape so he didn't reach them.

"Check out Snivelly's crappy Christmas junk," Sirius teased before tossing one to each of the other marauders. Severus didn't know which one to go after first. 

"This is pretty crappy," James said examining the star.

Being the diplomat of the group Remus said, "Perhaps they have a sentimental value." He was trying to help Snape out, but it only made it worse.

"Does the big bad Slytherin want his snowman back?" Peter had the nerve to tease when he was accompanied by the school's biggest bullies. As soon as Snape took a step towards him, Pettigrew cringed squeaking out, "Sirius!" He immediately threw the snowman back to Black who asked, "So Snivelly, is Remus right? Do the grubby things have sentimental value?"

Glairing was all Black got out of Snape. "If you tell us, maybe we'll give them back." Severus would not give them the satisfaction of knowing. He pulled the reindeer out of Lupin's hand. Remus wasn't really trying to hold on to it. When he went to do the same to James, James threw the star to Sirius. When Severus ran towards Sirius, Sirius threw the star back to Potter and the snowman back to Peter. No matter which one of his tormentors Severus went for, they threw it to another. They were smart enough not to throw one back to Remus. "Be reasonable Snivellus, all you have to do is tell us why Mr. Snowman and friends are so important to you."

As was Severus' luck the group of other students who were walking by were also fourth year students, Gryffindors all. None of them were going to tell their great Quiddich heroes to stop teasing the Slytherin's little oddball. They stood in as Potter and Black's ever needed audience chanting, "Keep away, keep away."

If this had been a few years before, Severus would have wondered, 'where are the teachers? Where are any other Slytherins?' By now he knew it was never in his favor that these things went. True to form the other Gryffindors sounded the alarm when a professor was coming. "McGonagall," they whispered in warning. She couldn't hear what they had been chanting, but the head of their house could tell something was afoot. "What is going on here?"

Severus had been wise enough to stow the wand he was about to use on them.

"We're trying to keep Snape from ruining the Christmas tree in the entrance hall with his horrid things," James told her as he and the other two held up the tattered ornaments.

McGonagall held out her hand and the three ornaments were placed in it. She looked at Severus. "Mr. Snape, do you have any complaints about how I and Professor Flitwick have decorated the Christmas trees this year?"

"No."

"Then why would you want to hang these old things on any of them."

"I wasn't."

"You weren't?"

"I wasn't." 

"Then what were you doing with them?"

He wasn't going to answer in front of Black and Potter. 

"Are you going to answer my question Mr. Snape?"

"No."

"No you say." McGonagall wasn't used to defiance. "Well then you can go up to my office. I'll give you a few hours to think about changing that answer."

"I wasn't doing anything!" Severus protested.

"Then why did Mr. Potter tell me you were?"

"Because Mr. Potter is an - - " Snape stopped himself before he swore in front of a teacher.

"What was that Mr. Snape? Mr. Potter is a what? I didn't quite hear that last word." The old harpy wasn't going to let this pass either. "What is Mr. Potter?"

If he didn't answer he'd get more detention. If he did answer he was sure it would be more than more. He chose defiance and didn't say a word. He just kept looking forward as if she weren't there. "I see. My office now Mr. Snape." He wanted to blurt out that he couldn't go to her office now. But he knew he was in enough trouble. McGonagall reinforced, "Now." He followed her pointing finger up the stairs. As he passed the onlookers Severus heard one of the girls whisper, "Can you imagine Evans is friends with that loser." There was the tittering of girls' laughter at that idea. 

McGonagall put an end to that. "The rest of you, get to where ever it is you're supposed to be."

Within a minute the stone stairway and the entrance hall were empty. It remained empty until Lily came looking for her friend. "Severus?" This was where she'd left him. Where was he? "Sev, if you're hiding, it's not funny." All she heard was the echoing of her own voice. She had wanted to show him the garlands of popcorn and cranberries she had made with the help of the house elves. 'Did I take too long?' she wondered. She had used magic, so it only took a few minutes. 'Maybe he had to make a lavatory run.' After coming to this conclusion Lily sat in the same place Severus had been sitting only a few minutes earlier. "Come on Sev. It doesn't take that long to go to the Lav," she mumbled to herself as she began to tap her feet on the steps. 'I'm going to feel a bit of a fool if he doesn't come back.' 

A few more minutes passed, still no Sev. 'Maybe he went down to the tree.' She dismissed this thought with another one. 'He wouldn't go down without me knowing I was on my way back.' After twenty minutes she muttered something else to herself, "So where is he?"

In the boredom of waiting Lily began to make percussive popping noises with her lips and clicking with her tongue until she heard someone ask from the corridor at the top of the stairs, "Is that some sort of traditional mudblood Christmas clucking Evans?"

Lily's wand was out before she turned to see who had said this. "So original Wilks." 

Wilks knew better than to try and hurt the 'angel' of Gryffindor even though she was there on her own. That wouldn't stop him from teasing her as he walked on. "Why don't you do us all a favor and stay in the muggle hole you crawled out of when the holidays are over."

Coming from Wilks, the insults didn't bother her. She even thought about asking him to tell Severus to come out of the Slytherin common room, if that was where he had gone. Lily knew he would never give Severus the message if she asked so she didn't. She was smart enough also to not go down to said common room and ask either. It was getting dark. Even if Sev showed up it would be too late to go down to the tree. She still wanted him to have the garlands to put on the tree. She went back to the kitchens to ask one of the house elves another favor.

"Blinky," Lily asked the little elf. "When you bring the things I asked you to bring Mister Snape for Christmas morning, add these garlands you helped me with."

"I thought you were going to give these to Master Severus yourself Miss. Lily," the house elf inquired. 

"Change of plans. I don't think I'm going to see him before the train leaves."

"Very well Miss. Lily. You can counts on Blinky." The elf took the garlands back from Lily. "If I may say, you is a good friend to Master Severus. You is the only one who sends things to him for Christmas."

Lily's heart sank a little. "The only one?"

"I hear that Professors Slughorn and the Headmaster gives him some things, but they do not leave them with us house elves."

Lily remembered Slughorn usually gave both of them something related to potions making. As much as she knew Sev always liked his presents from Slughorn, she wondered if Dumbledore gave him anything that might be considered a little more personal than that. She figured the headmaster's gifts were probably practical too. She envisioned getting out of her father's car as soon as she got home, and marching right up to the Snape's house and asking Sev's parents how they could forget their own son on Christmas. She knew how his father could forget, then she remembered his mother was not in the best of health. Still, they should send Sev something. The thought of sending some cookies with his mum's name on it ran through her mind as well. He'd see right through that. It was getting late, she still had last minute packing to do for the train in the morning. So her thoughts moved on to the journey home to her own family. Then she had another idea. "Blinky, maybe you should leave the garlands tomorrow so he can decorate the tree before Christmas."

"As you wish Miss. Lily."

"And, could you bake him some extra Christmas tree cookies to go with my present?"

"Of course Miss. Lily."

"You're a dear Blinky."

The little elf blushed as Lily skipped away.

Up in McGonagall's office Severus had dug his heels in and wasn't going to tell the Professor about the ornaments even if the marauders weren't there to hear. 

After an hour of cooling off time she started again with the inquisition. "It's a simple question Mr. Snape. Why were you going to hang these old things on the tree in the entrance hall?"

"I wasn't. Why don't you believe me. I was the one set upon and I'm the one in detention, that's fair."

"You are not here for what ever was going on between those boys and yourself. You are here for refusing to answer a question put to you by a professor. And you continued belligerence." 

The boy couldn't help letting a short laugh burst out of his mouth.

"And general cheekiness. If you think this is a matter of wills Mr. Snape, believe me, you will lose."

As if he could not control his mouth, Snape let slip under his breath, "Want to bet."

"So, would you like to spend Christmas stuck in the Slytherin common room while everyone else enjoys the feast?"

Snape when paler than his usual paleness for a second. She has seen it, but she also saw his eyes steel and defiance kick in again.

"I'd love it." He couldn't believe he had just said that. The last place he'd want to be on Christmas was the common room by himself. He still found it harder to give in to the teacher. The one bit of self esteem he did have control over was his will. He was determined that his will would not be broken even if it meant missing Christmas.

"Don't test me Mr. Snape," McGonagall didn't want to be the one to break either, but she knew Dumbledore would never allow a student who had stayed for the holidays to be punished in such a way unless they had done something really horrid, not just for defiance. She softened her approach. "Why can't you just tell me about these ornaments?"

"Because," he was about to be disrespectful again so he thought he should add, "Respectfully, it's none of your business. They're mine and unless you see me hanging them on one of your preciously decorated trees you can't do anything about them." He had even shocked himself this time. Where were these words coming from? He figured he better keep going while he was on a roll. "And what's the difference, they're just ornaments, it's not like I was hanging boomslang skin all over it."

"I thought you weren't hanging anything on that tree?"

"I wasn't, that was rhetorical."

McGonagall may have been stern, but she was rarely mean. In a way the boy was right. She hadn't seen him try to put the things on the tree. She had thought of being as stubborn as the boy. She had thought of putting the old ripped ornaments in her desk until the end of the holidays. She didn't have the stone heart to do it. She could tell the ornaments, no matter how shabby, meant something to the boy. "Here." She thrust out the three ornaments. "Take them and get back to your common room. Don't you dare let me see those on that tree, or I **will** ask Dumbledore to keep you in there on Christmas."

Severus took back ornaments. He thought about saying, 'I'll stay in there anyway.' He wasn't that foolish. He reluctantly said, "Thanks." He was glad she didn't keep them or worse. On his way back to the dungeons he made a detour to the entrance hall in the slight chance that Lily had waited this late for him. It was fully dark now and Lily would have poo-pooed going out of the castle and breaking rules. He was just hoping that maybe she would have considered it for him. "Guess not," he said to himself. He couldn't really blame her, he wasn't the biggest rule breaker either. The thought of sneaking down to the tree still crossed his mind. "my luck, I'll get caught." He took in a large breath and let it out with a slow sigh. "Wouldn't be the same without Lily anyway." He went back to the Slytherin dorms and spent the evening admiring the potion ingredients Professor Slughorn had given him in their last class. He fell asleep gripping a large jar of snake fangs. He'd have to crush them in the morning.

When he woke up he noticed the foot of his bed was covered with strings of popcorn and red berries. He wondered what that was about until he picked up the note attached to one or them. _'Complements of Miss. Lily Evans.' _He smiled. She hadn't forgotten him. Severus noticed that almost everyone was gone from their room. Wilks was still packing. He quickly hid the note.

"You know, I saw that mudblood Evans sitting on the stone steps with something that looked an awful lot like those things," the other boy said.

"So."

"So, I hope you're still not friends with that one. Lucius will be quite disappointed." 

These are common Christmas garlands," Snape snarled. "Who says I got them from her? And how would Lucius find out if they were?"

"I'd ask for some kind of a bribe not to tell him," Wilks admitted. "But you don't have anything to bribe me with - - then again, there is that History of Magic essay due at the end of the holidays."

"Aren't you going to miss the train?"

"Come on Snape, be a pal and help me with the essay, and I'll be a pal and not mention Evans to Malfoy when my family is spending Christmas with his family. It's a fair trade don't you think?"

Severus hated when he was put in this type of situation. He didn't want to deny Lily as a friend, but he didn't want the other Slytherin's to think he was sympathetic to mudbloods. To him Lily was a witch and that was all that counted. He knew it didn't count with his housemates, and his life would be made a living hell if they knew how he really felt about her. "Keep your mouth shut, and maybe I'll consider it."

Wilks smiled and nodded. He hadn't completely scared Snape into it, but he was going to get what he wanted. "Have a good holiday," he said as he dragged his trunk out of the dorm room.

"Sure," Snape said to himself. "Have a good holiday as the only Slytherin left and doing your essay as well as mine." Snape quickly pulled on his clothes and bundled up to go out. He gathered up the garlands and stowed the ornaments in his second hand parka's inner pocket. He ran out to the gates to see if he could catch Lily before the sleds took everyone to Hogsmeade station. It was too late, the sled Wilks was going in was the last to leave, and the students who were staying were not allowed to go off the grounds. He wasn't sure why he didn't try harder to get up early enough to see her go. 'Maybe next year, I will go home.'

This year there was little snow, but it was one of the coldest December's Hogwarts had ever seen. It didn't stop Severus from going down to the tree and decorating it with the things Lily had made. It didn't stop him from visiting it every day of the Holiday break. It didn't stop the birds and squirrels from eating the garlands. "Suppose that's what Lily planned anyway." He thought of how kind she could be. It was like her to think of the animals as well. This year on Christmas morning he found that Lily had moved up in her knitting skills. She had knitted him a grey sweater with green trim like the school sweaters except, if one were to look carefully, the trim was a line of tiny holly leaves. He was even more pleased when he unwrapped the plate of tree shaped cookies. "Thanks Lily," he said to the air hoping she could hear him.

The night before at the Evans house was not a peaceful Christmas eve. When the family began to unpack the decorations for the house and tree Lily searched for the two items from Severus. "I don't believe this," Lily muttered as she searched the box she was sure she had put them away in the year before. "Petunia - - " She ran up the stairs and burst into her sister's room. "WHERE ARE THEY!"

The Evans' had never heard their youngest daughter yell that loud. 

"Where's what?" Petunia played all innocent. "What are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about."

"Sorry I don't." The older sister went back to the magazine she had been reading. Lily knocked it down from her eyes. "What is your problem?"

"My problem is you stole my things."

"What things?"

"Don't play cute with me Petunia. Where are the card and the ornament Severus made for me?"

"That's for me to know - - " She put the magazine back up to read. "And you to find out."

Mrs. Evans was now in Petunia's room. "What's going on in here girls?"

"Mom," Lily was holding back her rage and a few tears. "Petunia took my things out of the Christmas box."

"Tunney," Mrs. Evans asked her eldest, "Did you take Lily's things?"

She couldn't lie to her mother as much as she wanted to. "Yes I did. I took those disgusting things from that horrid boy out of our family Christmas box."

"Oh, Tunney - - " disappointment rang in the mother's voice. "How could you do that to your sister?"

"I wasn't doing it to my sister, I was doing it to that creepy little - - "

"Hold your words young lady." Mrs. Evans was a stickler for propriety. "That is not very kind. Give your sister her things."

"I - - " Petunia knew she was in for it now. "I can't."

Lily was beginning to have a new fear.

"Why can't you give your sister back her things?"

"Because, I tore up the card and smashed that stupid bat last year when she left to go back to that freak school. As far as I know, they're in the bottom of the city dump."

Lily didn't yell. She didn't accuse Petunia of ruining Christmas. She did something much worse. She silently went to her room and cried the entire evening. She refused to come out of her room and help decorate the tree. "I wish I'd stayed at Hogwarts," She mumbled into her pillow. The Evans parents hardly said a word to Petunia as they did the decorating. She knew they were very disappointed in her. It still gave her an odd satisfaction to know that she had destroyed the things 'that' boy had given her sister. The one who had turned her sister into a weirdo. She remembered as she proudly showed their parents what one of her teachers had given her as a present; snake fangs. 'Disgusting.'

The next morning Mrs. Evans cajoled a red and puffy eyed Lily down for Family Christmas. "Come downstairs dear. It's not Christmas without both of my girls. You'll break your father's heart if you stay up here." Those words were enough to bring Lily downstairs. She would do it for her parents. 

Mr. Evans always played Santa and dug the gifts out from under the tree. "Here's one for Mum." He started with. "Here's one for Tunney and here's one for Lily."

They all opened one of their present from Mr. Evans. Inside of each box were lovely dresses suited to each of the Evans women.

"Thank you Daddy," both girls said. And Mrs. Evans said, "Thank you dear, it's the very one I had asked for." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"My my," He said with a blush. "I'll have to remember that in future." The girls giggled at their father's comment.

"Dad," Lily encouraged. "Open one of yours."

He opened one of his and was pleasantly surprised with something he needed for the car. "Good choice my dear." He planted a kiss on Mrs. Evans as she had done before.

The opening of presents went on for a good while until Lily was handed Petunia's present to her. "I'm not sure I want to open that one."

"Oh Lily dear don't be like that," Mr. Evans said.

"I'm sorry Dad, but there are some things it takes longer than a night to forgive." Lily looked at her sister with pure anger.

"Then don't open it. I won't open yours either."

"Good I'll give it to someone that deserves it."

"And I'll take your's back to the store and get my money back.:

"GIRLS!" Mr. Evans rarely raised his voice. "You're upsetting your mother."

"I'm sorry Mum," Lily said.

"I'm sorry too," Petunia echoed. 

Mr. Evans played peacemaker by setting aside the two sisters' presents to each other and moving on to other ones. When they seemed to be done, there was one lone box left under the tree with the two unopened ones. "What's this?" He looked at the tag. "Oh, this one is for Lily." He handed her the box. "Seems to be from your little school chum."

Lily looked at the writing on the box. It was Severus' writing. She had forgotten she had put it on a table next to the tree when she had gotten home the day before. She ripped into the paper and opened the small box. She smiled when she saw what was in it. It was an obviously hand made ceramic snowman wearing a green and sliver scarf and a rather large carrot nose. She was even more delighted to find when she took it out of the box that it was enchanted in the same manner the card had been. Sev's skills in charms had greatly improved in two years. The little snowman danced around and sang 'the' song.

When Petunia heard the words, _"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,"_ coming from the little figurine, she gritted her teeth and stormed into the kitchen for breakfast. Lily tormented her sister by playing and singing along with it all day long. When she went back to Hogwarts she made sure it was hidden well and kept safe by a charm that would keep Petunia from destroying it as she had the others. She wasn't getting her hands on this one.

tbc 


	7. Chapter 7

Jolly Holly Chapter 7

Year 5

Severus was already in a bad mood due to the fact that the only time he seemed to see Lily this year was in potions class. They were walking to that class when he was going to ask her if she intended on spending any time with him before going home for the holidays. She beat him to the punch with an observation. "You've done something different to your hair Sev." The tone of surprise in her voice made him want to deny it.

"No I haven't." He didn't want to admit he had washed his hair only a few hours earlier because Potter and Black had used his head for target practice with spoonfuls of catapulted oatmeal. "What's the difference? After potions it will look as it always does."

Lily took a deep breath. She was finding Severus' negativity harder to take lately. "You know, that crease in your forehead is going to become permanent if you don't lighten up." This only made the Slytherin furrow his brows more. The Gryffindor didn't notice; she was off on her own tangent now. "You'd look taller if you didn't slouch."

"You used to be the one who said friends don't care what you look like."

Lily let Sev go ahead to the classroom. Minutes later when they were setting up for class she leaned in and whispered to him, "I didn't mean it like that."

After class he followed her and asked, "Then how did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" Had she forgotten already?

"All those things you said before class. You said you didn't mean it like I thought; as if you wanted me to change. I can't change the fact that I'm not as tall as some, or that I have a crease in my forehead, or that my hair looks like hell no matter what I do."

"I just thought - - that if you made an effort you could really look good."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Maybe one of the girls would want to go to Hogsmeade with you if you did."

Severus stared at Lily not believing she had actually said that. "Lillian Evans," he said with a gapping mouth. "I never thought you were that shallow." He looked at her with an intensity that made her fell as if she were being examined.

"I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about other girls."

"Why not you?"

This question took her aback. She knew he wouldn't want to hear the answer, but she had to make it clear. "Sev, You're like a brother to me." Her hand rested on his shoulder was meant to be kind. "It would be - - weird." Lily went off to her next class leaving Severus standing there muttering to himself, "Weird? Like me - - " He was glued to the spot as if frozen by her words, until he heard a voice he always hated to hear. "You're blocking the hallway Snivelly THWACK! Something hit the side of Snape's head. "Good shot James."

"I was aiming for the nose."

When Severus rounded on his nemeses, the look on his face told the two they had better run. He was hot on their heals; spells flying at them. Sirius turned his head around to shout back, "Need to improve you aim Snivellus."

"Aim," Snape yelled after them. "I'll show you aim." The precise timing that led to the next event was not going to help Severus. James and Sirius had been squarely in the range of his freezing spell, but they had parted so they would not run into the tiny charms teacher, Professor Flitwick. "Come now how old are you boys?" Was all Fillus could get out of his mouth before he was frozen in place with the most surprised look on his face.

"You've done it now Snivs," Black retorted.

Ignoring Sirius, Severus quickly cast a reversal spell to bring the professor out of the freeze. He might have wished he hadn't when Flitwick sputtered, "Mr. Snape, what do you think you are doing?"

"Sorry Professor, I didn't mean to - - "

"He was trying to hex us," Black blurted out.

One of the tiny professor's eyebrows rose. He was not as stupid as Sirius apparently thought he was. "And just what Mr. Black, did you and Mr. Potter do to get Mr. Snape so wound up?" Flitwick's question made Sirius squirm and make faces. "Don't think I don't know what you two get up to." This made Severus' face turn smug. "That doesn't excuse using magic in the hallways, or trying to hex fellow students." Severus' smug look disappeared as Sirius snorted out a laugh. A rough look from the professor cut that laugh short. "I will see you, Mr. Black and Mr. Potter, in my classroom for detention after supper tonight."

This was the only time James' look of loathing left Severus. He turned to the Charms teacher and sputtered, "We're getting detention, but not Snivelly?"

"Mr. Potter!" It was rare for Flitwick to show a gruff side. "That is uncalled for. Mr. Snape's punishment will not take place with yours. I don't need to play referee to the three of you in my classroom as well."

"Then when does Sniv - - " Black caught himself. "He get his detention?"

"That is none of your business. The two of you need to get to class." All three of the boys walked away from Flitwick; in different directions. He called Sev back. "Wait Mr. Snape. I'm not finished with you."

The Slytherin boy turned back, head down, shoulders slouched.

"Don't look so defeated Mr. Snape."

"How many?"

"How many what?"

"How many detentions."

"No detentions Mr. Snape."

'This has to be a trick,' Severus thought to himself. He didn't dare say it out loud. "Then what is my punishment?"

"I have a task for you this weekend."

"THIS weekend?"

"Yes, I want you to put your wand to a better use than trying to hex Gryffindors."

"But this weekend is - - "

"I know very well what this weekend is. You are being punished remember."

Resigned to the fact that he was not going to go to Hogsmeade weather or not he could talk Lily into going, Sev asked, "What is this - - task?"

"Nothing so terrible Severus. I recall last year professor McGonagall saying something about you and decorating trees."

"What?"

"You do like to decorate Christmas trees, don't you?"

"Doesn't' everyone?" Severus had meant this to be sarcastic, but the ever cheerful Flitwick didn't see it.

"Good, good, Then it won't be such a chore, even if it is a detention." With that the head of Ravenclaw left the Slytherin student to go about his business. Later in the day Lily caught up with Severus. He had a feeling what she was going to say.

"Okay, I'll go Saturday with you and Sunday with the girls."

"I KNEW IT!" Sev didn't sound happy. In fact he looked rather upset. Lily thought she saw him wipe his eyes on his sleeve.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to go with me - - "

"I do want to go with you, but I can't."

"Can't?" Now Lily seemed angry.

"I have - - "

"Let me guess - - Detention?"

Sev nodded.

"What did you do now."

"What did I do?"

"You wouldn't have detention for no reason."

There was a long stretch of silence before Severus suggested, "You could - - stay."

"Stay, and do nothing all Saturday while you serve detention?" She looked at him as if he had two or three heads. "I don't think so."

Getting past her persnickety words, Severus explained, "In the morning I have to go find Professor Flitwick ten tree branches; you could help me with that."

Lily really didn't want to, but the expectant look on the boy's face change her mind. "I suppose I could do that before going to Hogsmeade."

Severus was thinking, 'Why can't you stay the whole day?' He said out loud, "I suppose that will have to do." Inside he was figuring, 'I'll get her to say the whole day.'

X x X x X x X x

The next morning Lily accompanied Severus out to the edges of the castle grounds so he could make the tree cuttings. He had made three before they started heading for the forbidden forest. She didn't notice that they were headed for a special place.

"What does Professor Flitwick need these branches for?" Lily asked.

"Can't you guess?" Sev asked as they made their way to 'their' tree. "Don't you remember this tree?"

She hadn't seen the tree since second year. The last two Christmases Severus had been alone when it was time to decorate. It slowly dawned on the girl. "Oh, is that the one?" Lack of emotion in her voice disappointed him. What had happened over the last year to make his friend so cold? Then he remembered, Lily didn't approve of his Slytherin friends.

This made Severus just as stony. "Why don't you go meet up with your 'friends' if you find this so boring?"

"I didn't say it was boring," Lily protested. "I thought it was kind of sweet that you remembered."

'Of course I remembered,' Sev said to silently.

"Until your attitude showed up," Lily said aloud.

"My attitude?"

"This is your detention. I don't even know why I'm here."

"Like I said," he couldn't believe he was saying it. "Just go meet your Gryffindor friends. They're obviously more important to you."

"Again putting words in my mouth."

"Prove me wrong and stay."

"You drive me crazy when you do this Sev."

"Do what?"

"Tell me to stay, tell me to go, then tell me to stay again. What is it that you want?"

For all of his bravado, in this area Severus was lost. His thoughts were worried. 'If I tell her she'll laugh. She's already made it clear she doesn't see me that way. Who could blame her?'

"Well?" Lily stood, arms crossed, foot tapping. "What - is - it - you - want? It's a simple question."

"No it's not," Snape mumbled.

"What?"

"I just - - "

"Come on Sev. Spit it out."

No matter how much he wanted to tell her what he wanted was her. He couldn't bring himself to say it. What he said instead was , "Just go."

She did.

He didn't know at the time that their friendship was going nowhere but downhill after this. Severus still cut a branch off of their special tree. It would be charmed to grow into one of the trees that would adorn Hogwarts castle through that year's holiday season. At the end of the decorating detention, Severus took something out of his pocket. "Professor," he approached Flitwick. "Could you do something for me?"

A cheery, "What's that," followed.

Still not the most confident person in the world, Snape timidly asked his favor. "Could you teach me a charm that will turn this into real silver or at least metal?"

Fillius saw the boy holding out a cruddy looking cardboard star half covered with tinfoil. "Wouldn't it be better to make a new one?"

"I didn't make this one," Severus admitted. "Someone special made it and I'd - - "

" - - You'd like to keep it forever?" The professor's words garnered a nod. "I quite understand." Thought he didn't know who the special person was, Flitwick felt that everyone needed remembrances of special things. "I know a charm, but I'm not sure you are skilled enough to perform it yet." The teacher saw that the Slytherin boy was crestfallen. "If you don't mind, I could do the charm myself, if that is not being to forward."

Severus had to think. He wasn't that eager for help that wasn't from a fellow Slytherin. Slughorn might have a potion that would do the trick, but that might take forever. If Flitwick did it, he could put it on the tree right then. He agreed and let the teacher transform his worn ornament into a shiny sparkling sliver star that he put on the tree made from the branch of his and Lily's special tree.

For some reason seeing the new shiny star didn't please Severus as much as he thought it would. 'Doesn't mean much if Lily isn't here to see it.' He intended to show it to her, but rest of the week, before she went home, every time he saw her she was surrounded by a gaggle of Gryffindor girls. Lily had told him what they said about him, and he wasn't about to ask her to go look at a tree in front of them.

tbc


	8. Chapter 8

Jolly Holly

Chapter 8

Year 6

"Christmas," Snape mumbled. He didn't have to say it out loud, his whole continence said it for him, 'Bah Humbug.'

"You staying here again Sev?" Regulus asked. He was answered with a nod. "I thought Lucius had invited you to the manor with the others."

"He did," Severus admitted. "I declined."

"Why would you do a thing like that?"

"Maybe I would like to get a bit of privacy while the rest of you are away. Maybe Lucius will be too busy with your cousin under the mistletoe. Maybe I don't want to be one more spec in the sand pile of guests that are always at the Malfoy's. Maybe . . ."

"I get your point," Regulus interrupted. "You know, we don't put out a half bad spread at our house." Now Black was thinking out loud. "I never asked you over because of Sirius. Now that he's run away . . ." He was going to say it was kind of quiet. Then he got mad. "I can't believe he's going around telling everyone my mother threw him out."

"I can," Severus proclaimed. "I'm used to your brother telling all sorts of lies about me."

"That's you. This is our mother."

Mrs. Black had a reputation of being a bit of a harpy even among Slytherins, but Snape held his tongue.

"So," Regulus went back to his original subject. "What do you say to spending the holiday at my house this year? Who knows what kind of things we can get up to in London."

"I don't have any money to get up to anything."

Regulus rolled his eyes. "I have enough money to get the entire sixth year of Slytherin up to something." This was true, but Black knew Snape was proud about these things.

"I don't know." There was still one thing Severus was worried about. "What if your prodigal brother makes an appearance? My presence would create quite a damper on . . ."

"Since when do you care about what Sirius feels?" Regulus snapped. His anger at his brother coming through loud and clear.

"I was thinking of your parents, not 'dear' Sirius."

"Oh." Regulus got quiet. "Sirius really hurt them. A guest in the house might make it a bit more cheerful."

Severus cleared his throat. "This will be the first time I have been associated with cheer."

"Come one Sev, I'll be bored out of my mind there by myself."

"Ah, the truth comes out."

"We can sneak into Sirius' room and get something to embarrass him with when we get back."

That was something Severus could find interesting. "Alright, I'll go. On one condition."

"What would that be?"

"That you don't make me stay in your brother's room after we've looked for something to embarrass him with. That would be too creepy."

Regulus began to laugh. "I won't make you. But we can make Sirius squirm if we make him think you did."

Severus wasn't sure if he liked that idea either. Then he supposed people already thought he was creepier than he was, so what could he loose. "If it will make him squirm."

szszszszszszszszszszszszsz

A part of Severus was glad he had accepted Regulus' invitation, the other part wanted nothing to do with the whole idea of Christmas. For half of his life Christmas had meant Lily. She wanted nothing to do with him since he had called her the 'M' word last spring. There would be no poorly knitted something green waiting for him at the foot of his bed. There would be no elf baked cookies either. There would be no trip to the forbidden forest to decorate 'their' tree. There would be nothing.

Severus was not completely convinced he'd lost her forever. He still had a glimmer of hope that he might win her back. He had and idea of something that might make Lily remember they were friends. This plan had one drawback. He would have to go deep into Gryffindor territory to pull it off. He had tried all that week to get there. Only twice did he even get to the corridor near the entrance to the Gryffindor common room without being seen and suspected of nefarious activities. He would try again that night. Almost curfew time found the Slytherin standing in front of the portrait known as the 'fat lady.' He was not trying to get inside, but the door ward kept asking him for the "Password?"

"Stuff it," was Sev's first response.

"That is incorrect." Again she asked, "Password?"

"Shut up. I'm trying to concentrate."

"That is not the password either."

"Look you pink accident on canvas, I'm not trying to get into the Gryffindor common room so stop asking me for the bloody password."

The entire time the fat lady had asking for the password, Severus had been enchanting something on the opposite wall. Something that no one coming out of Gryffindor could miss. He was sure Lily would see it and understand.

"Young man," the painted woman said again. "I will ask you one more time, then I will sound an alarm. Now, Password?"

Snape didn't bother answering. As long as he got his project finished, he didn't care who she called. A few more waves of his wand, and a few incantations later, it was done. Severus smiled pleased with his handiwork. He didn't have long to admire it. As she had said she would the fat lady was now telling whoever was in the common room she guarded there was an intruder from another house, without the password, defacing the wall.

By the time any of them took the warning seriously, Snape was gone. He could only imagine how Lily would look when she saw it. The first few Gryffindors who went to heed the fat lady's alarm couldn't figure out what she had been so worked up about. "Go back in," they told the others who were following. "It's just some Christmas decorations."

One of them asked, "How could you mistake Professor Flitwick or Professor McGonagall for a student?"

"I assure you," the fat lady said with an air of indignity. "It was neither of them that did this."

The students waved their hands at the fat lady in disbelief. This was not the first time she'd cried wolf.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning, the day of the farewell feast, many Gryffindors admired Severus' display of artistry, but none really understood its meaning. When Lily and some o the other sixth year girls were on their way out they spotted it. Missing it would be hard. Inside one of the larger paintings on the opposite wall were letters about six feet tall and two feet wide, comprised of holly vines and leaves was the word JOLLY. The figures in the painting were looking out from behind it trying to figure out what it was. Mary and Alice wondered why Lily had gone up to the decoration. They wondered why she put her hand to one of the holly leaves and said, as if to herself, in a voice almost inaudible, "Holly Jolly. Jolly made of Holly." A sad look crossed her face, but it was only for a moment.

"Lily," Alice inquired. "You alright?"

"Yes, fine." To herself she silently was trying to convince herself of something. 'Evans you're not going to be swayed by sentimentality.' Still when Lily saw Severus sitting at the Slytherin table, she couldn't help feel a tug of regret. How could he be so sweet on one hand, and spout Death Eater propaganda on the other? How could the boy sitting there be the same one whom she had been so close to before?

Severus had been looking for a sign that Lily had seen his Christmas gift to her. She had, but she would give him no indication. 'Maybe she'd notice if I made the trees dance around the Gryffindor table singing the song.' On that absurd idea, Snape shook his head. 'What was I thinking?' Only a year ago he would not have asked himself that question. He would have found a way to do just what he had imagined.

For the rest of that day, it being the day before those going elsewhere for the holidays were leaving, Severus heard people singing Holly Jolly Christmas almost everywhere he went. If this were a coincidence or not, he thought Lily must have been behind it. He never caught sight of her if she was. It was not until they were on the train did he finally see her. As ever she was sitting with Mary, Alice and a few younger Gryffindor girls. One of them noticed, "That creepy Snape has passed our door at least six times. What do you think he's up to?"

Lily figured she'd be the one to find out. When she stood to look she saw Sev at the end of the car contemplating another pass. "Where are you going?" Mary asked as Lily opened the door. "Your not going to confront him are you?"

"Don't worry about it."

"He might try something."

Lily ignored them as they continued to banter among themselves.

"Like what?"

"Who knows."

"With him anything."

They went on like that for another minute before realizing Lily had already gone out of the compartment and was now talking to Snape.

"You don't think he'll hurt her will he?"

Mary never liked Severus so she didn't say anything though she like Alice knew that Lily was once friends with the boy. Alice reassured the other girls, "I think you'll find that Mr. Snape is more bark than bite."

One of the really younger girls then commented, "Lily is really brave to go and confront him."

At that moment Lily did not feel so brave. Not because she was afraid the way the girls who didn't know Severus were, but because she feared she might be swayed in her conviction to not re-befriend him unless he denounced the Death Eaters publicly. She put on the hard shell she had been putting on every time she spoke to him since the infamous moment and asked, "Just what is it that you want, Snape?"

Being confronted with her hard shell made him put up his. "Who said I want something?"

"You've passed the door to the compartment I'm sitting in half a dozen times. You must want something."

For a moment, Severus' shell dropped. On his face Lily could see his heart sinking. He would be the one to break the barrier of anger between them, "Maybe, I want to wish you a . . . Holly Jolly Christmas."

This was not something Lily was expecting, and it wasn't what she wanted to hear. She didn't want to remember he wasn't anything more than a future Death Eater; a creep. She was no where near ready to forgive him. "HOW DARE YOU!" She yelled before saying in a lower tone. "How dare you try to use that against me."

"Lily I just want . . ."

"I don't care what you want. I want you to leave me alone."

Many people had only heard Lily yelling and assumed 'creepy' Snape must have tried to do something nasty to her when they looked out of their compartments to see them standing close to each other. Some Gryffindors were ready to jump in if the Slytherin got out of hand. They couldn't hear what they were saying now, but it looked like Evans was holding her own.

"You're the one that had everyone singing the song everywhere I went," Severus accused.

"No I didn't."

"You didn't?"

"No, I didn't."

"You did," Sev kept insisting. "You saw my Jolly made of Holly and . . ."

"Stop Sev. It's Christmas, people sing Christmas songs. I saw what you made, but I didn't tell anyone to sing the song. I've told you more than once; we will never be friends again unless you break your associations with certain people."

"You don't understand."

"I understand perfectly." Lily turned and walked away at that point.

Severus noticed that they had been being watched by more than one group of people. He promptly sneered at all of the faces staring at him out of the compartment doors before going to find where his Slytherin friends were.

ZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz

Try as she might, Lily couldn't stop thinking about Snape. She was chiefly wondering about why Severus had chosen this Christmas to go home. How was he going to get there? She didn't know that wasn't where he was going. She found that out when everyone disembarked at London. She saw Severus walking away from the station with Sirius' brother Regulus. Regulus Black was one of the students who made no pretences about where his loyalties lay. If that was who Severus was spending his holidays with, she would not feel sorry that she had not made up with him.

On arriving at home she was prepared to do something rash. She took the little dancing snowman she had hid from Petunia for two years and walked outside with it. She went to the curb where she had every intention of throwing it on the pavement until it started singing. Even now, hearing Severus' voice coming from the snowman, singing 'their's, did something to her. Her arm raised, ready to smash it to smithereens, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Deep down she thought, she wished, she hoped there was still a chance her old friend wouldn't become a follower of that evil man. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Lily Evans had not entirely given up on Severus Snape.

tbc


	9. Chapter 9

Jolly Holly Chapter 9

Year 7

Severus had made an excuse as to why he didn't want to go with Mulciber and Avery on their mission to harass Gryffindors on the first Hogsmeade weekend of December. He didn't want them to know he was on a mission of a different kind. After the complete non-Lily Christmas of last year, the young man was determined to make a grand gesture to regain her friendship for the thousandth time. Again he didn't realize their was only one gesture that would do that. Thinking a gift of extreme sentiment would do it, Severus went looking for just that gift.

It was difficult to do that while also trying not to be seen by any of his friends, her friends, and especially the Marauders. All he needed was for those four to see him looking at 'girly' things.

"Young man, if you tell me what you are looking for," the shopkeeper said impatiently. "I could help you find it."

"I'm just looking," the boy insisted.

"Yes, but for what exactly?"

"I'll know when I see it."

It was not until several stores later that he saw it. He was right, the minute he saw it, he knew it was for her. Delicate holly leaves of shinny green lacquer surrounded by gold were linked together by red berries in a strand that made the bracelet. This Severus felt was the perfect peace offering. He could never quite believe all of her protests that she wanted nothing more to do with him. The fact that the Hogwarts grapevine had not linked Lily with the name of any boy, yet, bolstered Severus ambitions as well. What did put a damper on his plan was the price of the jewelry. Ten Galleons; for a wizard his age, that was a fortune.

"Look," Severus spoke to the sales woman. "I have eight. If I give that to you now, I can get the other two before Christmas."

The shopkeeper looked down her nose at the boy. He didn't look like the kinds of youngsters who usually bought things at her store. His clothes were all frayed at the edges. "And what if you don't get it? I might be able to sell that to someone else."

"I'll get it." Severus seemed so confident that the woman agreed.

"I know you Hogwarts students are due for another visit in two weeks. If I don't see you then, I can't hold it any longer than that."

"Fair enough."

With that taken care of, Snape went to find his friends. He couldn't let them have all the fun of hexing Gryffindors.

In the two weeks that passed, Severus had been working overtime to write seventeen potion papers at two Sickles a piece to make up his needed two Galleons. He wasn't getting much sleep, but the excitement of getting the bracelet kept him wide awake. When the day came he made sure no one knew where he was going.

The boy was beaming as he handed the shopkeeper the rest of the money. It belonged to him now. Now he could give it to Lily. He felt confident he could get her to agree to a meeting at least. Seeing the boy's house scarf around his neck, the shop woman placed the bracelet in a sliver box and tied a green ribbon around it. Severus wasn't sure what Lily would think of that. "Uhh," he let slip out. "Could you change that to Gryffindor colors?"

"So, your lady is a Gryffindor is she?" The woman had a glint in her eye. Severus nodded in a shy manner. The woman took out her wand, and changed the colors to gold for the box, and red for the ribbon. "She'll like that then." She handed the boy the box. "Merry Christmas."

A real smile of happiness grew on Severus' face. Before exiting the shop, he chirped back, "Merry Christmas."

The box was easily hid inside Severus' jeans pocket. These were still a size bigger than he was. In there the box would never be crushed. The same could not be said of the young man's heart.

Not wanting his Slytherin friends to know he was buying something for a girl, let alone Lily, this had been a solo mission. Severus was not going to linger in town. The young man had outgrown his old habit of not looking where he was going. Not walking into people he didn't want to run into had become an obsession. He knew how to keep form being seen before he saw whoever was around. Stealth had become his middle name.

This day was no exception, but Sev almost let himself be seen because he was day dreaming about how he would give Lily the holly bracelet. He was about to round the corner of one of the village's ally like streets when something told him to stop. Muffled voices could be heard from around the bend. Even without hearing what was being said, Snape knew one of those voices was Lily's. Curiosity made Severus take a peek to see what she was doing there. He wished he had never looked. Ignorance would be blissful. This was torturous.

'No,' Sev thought. He couldn't believe his eyes. 'I'm hallucinating.'

Several blinks did not change what he saw. Lily was not alone. James was with her. Potter was holding up a box similar to the one now hidden in the other boy's pocket. Lily opened it and looked admiringly at something within. "My birthstone," Lily said with glee. "Red like Gryffindor. It's beautiful." She flung her arms around James' neck then they kissed.

"Guess this makes it official," James said when Lily released him. Then he slipped the Garnet ring on her finger.

'No. No. No.' This was the only word that rang in Severus' head. He was sure he would have heard about something like this through Hogwarts' extensive rumor mill if Lily had been seeing Potter. The way they were carrying on, there was no mistake. Every bit of confidence Severus had gained in the last two years melted away. 'How could she?'

The Slytherin boy did not move for a good while after he saw the person he loved the most walk away hand in hand with the person he hated the most. In the opposite direction Severus walked back to the school in a complete daze. The lowered head and slouch in his body were back.

Just outside of the village, on the road back to the castle, something wet and cold hit Snape in the back of the head. Snow slid down his neck and anger rose in his veins.

"No thugs to watch your back today Snivelly?" Sirius was joined in laughter by Remus and Peter. They stopped when they saw the look in Severus' eyes when he rounded on them. Quicker than that look Snape's wand was out and like a shifting wind it only took a second for the jinx to hit them. "Winterumrollium!"

Before they had time to react the three Marauders found themselves being pulled into a vortex with spinning snow. When the spell was complete they were encased in a giant snow ball. Only their extremities were sticking out of it. Hands, feet, and faces wiggled to break free, but they couldn't. There was no possible way to reach their wands either. Severus was making his way over to the huge ball of Gryffindors. "What a pleasant day for a little roll in the woods," Snape hissed out.

"Severus, don't do it," Lupin pleaded. He knew it was useless. After all the things they'd done to Snape, and the fact that they would have done the same to him, made what happened next was inevitable. With all of his might Severus pushed the giant snow ball with the trapped boys over the path, down a steep hill making it roll into the forest.

"Should be a good while before anyone finds you," Severus gloated from forty feet above where the snow entombed boys eventually came to rest. "Most take the other path back to the castle. Ta ta."

This was true. That path was not the most direct way back from Hogsmeade to the school. Until his triumph over the Marauders, Severus had not realized why he had come back this way. Despite what he'd seen in the village, he couldn't stop himself from going to the spot he had hoped to give the bracelet to Lily. Even if it was a useless gesture, he felt as if he had to make it anyway. Closer to the school, but still along the edge of the forbidden forest still stood, their tree. The little pine tree that had been only four feet tall in their first year was now a good fifteen feet high. It's only decoration was snow, and a few abandoned bird nests. When he had let Professor Flitwick transform the construction paper star into a real silver ornament two years before, he could not get it back as Professor McGonagall thought it one of the Hogwarts ornaments. He still knew which one it was. Severus had planned to swipe it back before leaving for Regulus' house last year. This never happened.

Now as Severus stood knee deep in snow staring at the tree, it didn't even matter that this was the last Christmas he might be able to take the ornament back. Still in a daze, his hand gripped the small box in his pocket. 'Lily? Potter? Impossible.' The image of Lily kissing James played over and over in Severus' mind. He cursed his eyes for ever seeing it. He had no idea what to do next; What to do now that the only thing that held him to hope was destroyed. The box was pulled out of the pocket, the ribbon ripped off and thrown to the ground. The box was opened and its two halves joined the ribbon. The bracelet of holly now gripped in his hand, the edges of the leaves dug into his skin, Severus wanted to fling it away, but he couldn't. No matter what she had done, even if she didn't love him, if she loved Potter, Severus still loved Lily. This love did not fill him with the joy it used to, now it was a knife that sank deep into his heart. As much as he didn't want to fling the row of holly leaves away, he didn't want to keep it either. What came to his mind was that he should leave the bracelet in the tree. For what ever reason, Severus slid the bracelet around one of the tree's branches.

After doing this, Snape went back to the place he had been staring at the tree for a good while, to stare at it some more. In a bit he sat back on his heels in the snow. He couldn't make himself leave. He sat there muttering, "Lily, why?"

The news that Lily Evans and James Potter were going steady had made the rounds of the castle by the time all of the students had returned from Hogsmeade. The other story that had made the rounds was that of how the two love birds had discovered James' friends encased in a giant snowball while on a walk along the less used path back from Hogsmeade, and that none other than the greasy Slytherin, Snape had done it to them. While those three were sent to the hospital wing, James poured over the Marauder's Map, this was a secret he had shared with Lily, looking for where Snape was now. "When I find him . . ."

A hand on James' arm stopped him mid-sentence.

"James please, leave Severus alone."

Potter looked at Evans as if she'd grown a second head. She continued, "You heard Sirius admit they had started it."

"That doesn't mean . . ." James saw the pleading in Lily's eyes and acquiesced. "All right, I'll leave Snivellus alone."

Lily sighed before saying, "Don't make me regret taking this." She showed the ring to him. "If you can't call him by his proper first name, call him Snape, not Snivellus, or Snivelly."

"You're too nice."

"It's Christmas James. Remember. Good will towards all men."

"But Sniv . . ." again James stopped himself.

"Even Slytherins," Lily admonished.

"Okay, even Slytherins. Unless they're about to hex someone."

"That I'll give you."

"I wish you'd give me something else." The boy's eyebrows rose hinting towards the mistletoe they were standing under.

"Like this?" Lily took the hint, and moved in for a kiss. This made Potter forget all about finding where Snape was.

As a matter of fact, it was not until curfew that night that anyone remembered Severus. Mulciber and Avery told their other dorm mates they had not seen Severus in Hogsmeade, though they had all heard about the wonderful hex he had put on the three Gryffindors they all despised.

"Where do you think he is?" Regulus asked fearing his brother had gotten even with his friend. "It's not like Sev to break curfew. I have a bad feeling about this."

"If you're that worried about Snape," Wilkes said from his toasty blankets. "Go tell Slughorn about it."

Feeling that Severus was in trouble, and not out of dorm so late on purpose, Regulus did just that. "Funny thing is Sir, I don't think Sev's in the castle at all."

Regulus was right. Only a few minutes before, the gamekeeper had been alerted that something was amiss in the forest by a tiny snow fairy. The silvery white tiny winged being whispered in Hagrid's ear, "Student, student out in the snow."

The large man leapt from his table, almost spilling the hot tea he'd just poured himself. "A student! Out in the snow?"

"Follow."

Hagrid threw on his coat, grabbed a lantern, and followed the little ball of light out into the forest. Reluctantly, the not so little Boarhound puppy, Fang followed it's owner out into the snow. Not too far into the forest Hagrid could see a few other snow fairies hovering around a strange lump in the snow. A beefy hand swept away some of the snow to reveal a half frozen Snape. "Oh no, Sev'rus." He recognized the features of the young man. The only thing that different was instead of the usual pale pallid skin, he was a sickening blue color. Fang licked at the boy's face, but the boy didn't move. "Whatcha doin' out here at this hour?" He knew the boy couldn't answer. "Must have been here a good while ta boot. Good thing these here snow fays found ya." Pulling Severus out of the snow, Hagrid was tempted to bring him back to his cabin. "No, I best get you up to the castle." He slung the skinny boy over his shoulder and marched through the snow, up to the school.

"Goodness gracious," Poppy gasped out when Hagrid carried Severus into the hospital wing. She had been made a full matron the end of last year, and was in charge of the hospital wing now that the old matron had retired. "I had a feeling I'd be seeing this one after the other three were here." She was not prepared for the condition the fourth boy was in. "He's . . . " She couldn't bring herself to say, 'half dead,' while Hagrid lay Snape down on a bed. "How did this happen?"

"D'know. I just found him out in the snow." Hagrid lingered no longer than a few minutes. He knew Severus was in good hands now, and his presence would not help any.

Poppy was loading blankets on top of the frozen boy when Professor Slughorn came through the door. He had a hunch this should be the first place to look for Severus. As the head of Slytherin, Horace wanted to go strait to the headmaster and demand some kind of retribution for whoever was responsible for landing his top seventh year student in such a condition. On the other hand, he couldn't leave Snape alone in that state. The portly professor stood next to the hospital bed looking as furious as the matron had ever seen him.

When Severus stirred a moment later, Slughorn questioned, "Who did this to you lad?"

In no form to answer, Snape in delirium said in a barely audible intonation, "Lily . . ."

Taken completely off guard, Slughorn blinked as he shook his head in a shudder. He knew his hearing wasn't that bad. Had Severus just told him Lily had been the cause of his glacial situation? In a way she was, but not in the way Slughorn was thinking. He was sure Miss. Evans would never do such a thing as hex someone leaving them to be in a snow pile for hours, even Snape. Alternatively, maybe he'd misheard. When the young man said the young lady's name again, the teacher began to wonder.

Poppy had not heard the question Slughorn had been asking her latest charge, but she knew he wouldn't get an answer. "Professor, He's in no condition to answer any questions. The boy's hypothermic." She felt her patient's forehead. "Probably doesn't even hear you." Her attentions now turned to mixing a few potions together. "The other three only needed a cup of hot cocoa, Mr. Snape is going to have to be here for quite a while." She put a cover on the container and shook the potions together. "Might be stuck here the whole Holliday." When the mixture had turned from a blue to a green color, she looked down at the frosty young man. "Professor, could you lend me a hand?"

Slughorn asked in return, "In what capacity?"

"Prop Severus' head up so I can get some of this down his throat with out asphyxiating the boy."

"Of course my good woman." The potions master did as the matron requested. As he watched Poppy try to get Snape to swallow the potion, he mused aloud, "Hardly a boy anymore, he's going to be eighteen in a matter of weeks."

Seems strange I was his age when our young man here was a first year." There was a thoughtful sigh from Poppy. "Seven years, makes quite a difference. I remember all the students here at Hogwarts as the were when they were half as tall as they are now." She paused between gulps. "In the case of some half as wide."

With a chuckle Horace added, "That could be said for a few of us teachers at Hogwarts as well."

As Poppy had predicted, Severus was not out of the hospital wing for a while. It was not for the entire holiday, but a few days after Christmas. Each and every one of those days Dumbledore was trying to get Severus to tell him what had happened. "Why where you out in the forest Severus? Who left you in the snow?"

The answer to question one Severus wouldn't answer because that was none of Dumbledore's damn business as far as he was concerned. The answer to question number two he would not give because the answer was himself. How could he tell the headmaster he left himself out in the snow? He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he couldn't leave the tree. It got colder and colder, but he didn't care. The snow fell all around him, but he didn't care. The struggle between Severus' feeling of betrayal, which was so strong at that point, and his vast hidden love for Lily made him want to be taken by the cold. In some way a part of Snape was never retrieved from that cold. Sev had left a large chunk of his heart hanging out on a branch of a tree along with that bracelet of holly.

tbc


End file.
